7 islands close to Athens

The aristocratic island of Hydra invites you to experience the beauty that has enchanted international jet setters, artists like Chagall and Picasso and musicians like the late great Leonard Cohen. The port town is cosmopolitan and elegant, with its 18th-century mansions, old churches and marble-flagged steps that serve as streets on this steep island. A trip to take you back in time.

Τhe sea captains’ island, Spetses promises la 'dolce vita', whether for a quick weekend getaway or a long holiday. Have a leisurely coffee in Dapia, as you look across the sea towards Kosta and Porto Heli on the Peloponnese. Walk along the waterfront, past the handsome mansions below St Nicholas’ Church, to the Old Harbour with its traditional boatyards. Then visit the Bouboulina and Hatzigiannis-Mexis museums.

A place beloved by Giorgos Seferis, the Greek Nobel laureate, and groundbreaking writer Henry Miller, with its beautiful nature, vintage charm and peaceful ambience. Just a stone’s throw from Galata on the mainland, in Poros you’ll find small tavernas, yacht marinas, neoclassical buildings, a clock tower, pine forests reaching the sea, serenity and relaxation.

Picturesque villages boast narrow streets of cobbled stone and gardens full of flowers, next to tiny chapels that pop up on rocky headlands and within forest glades. So much hidden beauty exists on Kythnos, and just a short hop by ferry from Athens. With a history starting in the mists of the Mesolithic period, Kythnos, modest and hospitable, unexpectedly beautiful and serene.

10 best things to do on Kythnos island